Saturday, November 17, 2012

Happy Diwali!

Happy Diwali!

A Pakistani Hindu girl
adjusts earthen lamps to decorate an area of her house to celebrate Diwali, the
Hindu festival of lights, Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2012 in Karachi, Pakistan. Hindus
across the country are celebrating Diwali, where people decorate their homes
with light and set off firecrackers. Photo: Shakil Adil, Associated Press

Hindus at the last
day celebrations of Diwali (Deepwali) at Krishna Temple in Saddar Rawalpindi.
PHOTO: MUHAMMAD JAVAID / EXPRESS TRIBUNE

The Italian
Archaeological Mission on Wednesday discovered an ancient cemetery dating back
thousands of years at Odigram, Swat — a site experts believe was built between
1500 BC to 500 BC.

The
newly-discovered vessels symbolise simple but competent craft — ranging from
copper pins used to fix hair to small perfume bottles. A total of 23
graves have been excavated at the site that seems to be an ancient cemetery,
indicating that they belonged to the pre-Buddhist era.

One grave contained
two bodies placed strategically such that they face each other. The region was
identified as Ora by Aurel Stein, the city where Alexander the Great fought one
of his battles.

Archaeologists have
caught another glimpse of Swat’s glorious past — revealing secrets of a
civilisation that have been buried in the earth for over 3,000 years. PHOTO:
FAZAL KHALIQ/ THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE